Prince & Servant  Arthur and Guinevere AU
by LightingYourDarkness
Summary: One day, Prince Arthur meets the new serving girl, Guinevere. Becoming fascinated with one another, they secretly fall in love. Guinevere is discovered, and banished, and Arthur goes after her.


Guinevere Thomas tied flowers into her hair as she hummed mindlessly. She was happy, happier than she'd been in a long time. She had arrived in Camelot only days before, and started working tomorrow. She was to be a maid in the Castle. Her friend had previously filled the job position, but had been forced to leave to take care of her family, and had recommended Gwen. But today, today was all hers. She had spent the days previous unpacking her few possessions, and making the small cottage she was staying in feel like a home. She was living alone, having no family to speak of. But as she stepped out into the sunlight, she didn't care. She walked through the streets, a basket hooked over one of her arms for when she visited the market later. It wasn't the best life, but she was happy.

Arthur didn't usually notice the serving girls, and if he did it was to notify them his cup was empty or his plate needed filling. But when Guinevere arrived, he could honestly say he looked at her the way he hadn't ever noticed anyone before.

Confused, he went about his business, until one day they crossed paths in the street.

"Do I know you?" A hint of a smile crossed his face.

Gwen was surprised when Arthur spoke to her. She hadn't realized that royalty when out of their way to be in the lower town, never mind talk to the 'commoners'. "My name is Guinevere." She said with a smile, "But almost everybody calls me Gwen.

The Prince didn't say anything, only his smiled widened. He cleared his throat, a strange awkwardness coming over his usually cool and gathered self.

"Arthur. And it's my pleasure."

"I know." Gwen replied, when he told her his name. Then she was blushing, "I mean, you're the Prince." She didn't mention that she was the new serving girl to the prince.

"Ah..." He nodded, averting her gaze by staring at the ground. "A pleasure..."

"Well, you'll be seeing me quite a bit." Gwen said finally, "Since I'll be working in the castle."

Arthur didn't know whether to be greatly pleased or terribly annoyed at this remark, seeing as he felt very awkward around her.

'She is...beautiful...' He reasoned to himself.

"So I'll be seeing you?"

Gwen nodded, turning away. She smiled over her shoulder, "Goodbye." She said, her voice almost shy.

"Good...bye." The Prince turned, a sigh of relief leaving his lungs. Awkward. He had never felt so awkward

Gwen smiled to herself, returning to her home. Only when she got there did she realize that she had been so completely distracted, she had forgotten about going to the market.

She got ready quickly, as the sun rose. She dressed simply, tying her hair up so that it was out of her face, and wearing a simple yellow dress. She couldn't, however, wipe the smile off her face. She left her house, the warmth of the day making her smile.

Arthur could not have been more surprised when Guinevere began serving breakfast to the royal family. He couldn't focus on what his father was saying, no matter how hard he tried.

Finally, after darting an awkward smile up at Gwen, Arthur finally noticed his father, knocking over his cup of wine in the process.

"What's that?"

The wine spilled across the table, and Gwen blocked out Uther's angry yelling as she tried to mop the wine up. She stood the cup up and let her eyes travel towards Arthur. Why was it that she couldn't take her eyes off him?

"You have no mind for politics, my son." The old king sighed. "You never did.

Arthur bit his lip, and cleared his throat, determined to remain attentive.

"Sorry...father."

Gwen left shortly after, clearing away the remaining food and plates quickly and quietly. She was helped by the serving boy, Merlin, who had been one of the nicest to her since she'd arrived in Camelot. It wasn't until a bit later she'd found out he was Arthur's serving boy.

Arthur was soon called out by his father to go on a quest. He may have "no brain for politics" but he led the men with great courage and could inspire noble deeds in them.

However, it seemed the quest came to Camelot. A giant beast landed in the courtyard, and the knights were sent to dispatch it. It wasn't that easy, obviously, and Arthur's fight was difficult.

Gwen was watching from the window of the castle, practically holding her breath. She watched Arthur battle, her eyes wide with fear. But she could see already things weren't going well. The creature was huge, and Arthur looked like he was wearing out. Without thought, she was running, down the stairs and into the courtyard. She watched the beast rear up, and Arthur falter. And she ran at him, knocking him out of the way as the beast landed where Arthur had been only moments before. The knights closed in on it, and the beast collapsed, covered in it's own sticky, black blood.

Arthur hit his head on the courtyard stones on the way down, groaning, but looking up to see his rescuer. Guinevere.

He stood, still in a slight daze, while she ran to him and fastened her thin arms around his neck, pressing her body into his.

The Prince didn't know whether to be more shocked, or more pleased.

He decided on pleased, and a half smile lit his lips, coming from the bottom of his heart.

Gwen was in a bit of a haze herself. What had she just done? She was acting on impulse, that was all. And now here she was, hugging the man she'd met only a few days previously, after saving his life. Things did not get much stranger than that. "Sorry." She said, moving away from him, twisting her hands together.

"My pleasure." Arthur said, his voice a little husky, wincing as she accidentally hit where the beast must have clawed him. "It's nothing. I'll get Gauis to tend to it." The Prince said, limping off towards the castle. He turned, half way, to face her again. "And Guinevere, thank you."

Gwen nodded, lips pressed together in a smile, hands clasped in front of her. "Not a problem." She said. She waited until he was out of sight before letting herself relax. Her hands dropped to her sides and she took a breath. She stood there for a few moments before she went back into the castle. She still had work to do.

Little did Arthur know that Guinevere worked with Gauis, tending to the wounded soldiers. Several more of the knights had been hurt fighting the beast, and Arthur demanded that they be treated and cared for first. Gauis obeyed his wishes, and that left Guinevere with him...again. How was it that it always ended up like this?

Gwen tried to avert her eyes as Arthur stripped his top off. It was hard though, when she saw the bloody mess beneath. She soaked a rag in clean, cool water, and pressed it gently to the wound, trying to clear out the dirt, to avoid infection. Now she found herself trying not to look him in the eye as she focused on her work. Her hands were gentle as she worked, her expression calm.

"Thank you..Guinevere." He cleared his throat softly."That was a very brave thing you did."

Gwen glanced upwards, smiling slightly, "Not a problem." She said quietly. She didn't mention that she'd done it because she couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt.

As gently as she had wiped the blood away from his wound, Arthur pressed her small hand to his chest. "I wasn't going to let anything happen to you." He turned a bit red. "But it looks like this time you did the rescuing."

Gwen looked up, surprised by his movements. But her eyes were warm, her smile lighting her face, "I know you would have done the same." She replied simply.

"You are very brave. As good as any knight of Camelot." Arthur stood, and put his shirt back on.

Gwen stood as well, not wanting to have to look up at him. She did, however, blush at his praise. "Thank you." She said, "Though I think you exaggerate slightly, if I may say so."

"You are a loyal servant." Arthur nodded, and was soon gone. "Farewell...Guinevere."

Gwen just watched him go, hands clasped in front of her. She was there for several more hours, helping attend to the knights, before she was able to leave.

The next day, the king made a point of visiting Guinevere's cottage, to commend her for her bravery.

"Thank you, for your actions, yesterday. You are a loyal servant, to Arthur."

Gwen was trying to keep the blush off her face, "Thank you, my lord." She said, bobbing into a curtsy.

The king left quickly and quietly, and got it came to be that in the next week another quest arose for the knights.

As Arthur spoke to them, in the courtyard, many could over hear, and he couldn't help but wonder if Guinevere was there. He hoped she was.

That evening, he made a point to sneak out to the village to see her. It was the dead of night, and his dark blue cloak blended well with the blackness of the night, making his presence nearly unnoticeable.

Gwen was in her house, scrubbing down the table when a soft knock came at the door. She left the cloth on the table and went to the door, pulling it open quietly. "Arthur." She said, so surprised she forgot about all pretenses of nobility.

"I came to say goodbye. Hopefully, not forever." Arthur's smile was dim, but he ever so gently caressed her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Gwen didn't make any attempt to stop herself throwing her arms around him, hugging him tightly, "For me." She whispered.

"I promise..." The sudden display of emotion from Guinevere was shocking, but it seemed everything was. "Do you trust me, Gwen?"

Gwen was standing slightly away from him, and nodded, lips pressed together. "Yes Arthur, more than Uther..."

"You trust me more than my father?" Arthur looked down into her eyes, watching their brown beauty. Her small hand fastened tightly on his forearm, and he placed his over it, moving his eyes to look down at their fingers, together, finding strength in one another.

Gwen looked over at their hands, twined together before saying, "Yes."

"Sometimes I dream about being a farmer, getting some land, and everything being simple. Not like this. " Arthur's voice was husky, but he found her eyes again.

He smiled, for it was easy to find the absurdity of that statement.

Gwen couldn't help but laugh at that, "I don't think that sort of life would suit you." She said, "A simple life? Too boring for you."

"I would go anywhere, to be with you." Arthur, barely knowing what he was doing, bent down and locked his lips into hers.

Gwen felt his soft lips on hers, and her eyes slid closed. All she could was simply revel in the feeling, and enjoy it. Because she didn't know if she would see him again.

The Prince didn't say goodbye, only silently slipped out the door, never knowing if he would return.

Gwen watched him go, tears in her eyes. She was scared for him. Verified.

It was many days later that a group of battered knights carried their dying leader back into Camelot, on their bare shoulders. The group had no horses, and the weapons and armor that they wore had certainly seen better days. Arthur's head lolled back, in an unconscious way that was severely frightening to the people that had gathered in the courtyard. Arthur was their leader, often more than the king himself, and he had been defeated, beyond all shadow of a doubt.

Gwen was twisting her hands together as Arthur was taken to his room, and Gaius called to attend to him. Gwen, of course, went with him. Gaius, after attending to and binding Arthur's wounds, left Gwen to attend to him. There was a flurry of activity around her, but she focused on Arthur, keeping his brow cool with a wet rag. When everyone had gone, however, she took hold of his hand. "Arthur." She whispered, "Don't do this. You can't do this. You have to get well. Camelot needs you. I need you."

Arthur did not seem to hear her words, his ears closed to everything but the darkness of unconsciousness. However, his father heard them clearly, and saw the touchy scene that followed.

She was brought before the king, the next morning, and the sentence was simple.

"You are banished from Camelot." Uther said plainly. "For Arthur's sake."

Gwen couldn't keep the tears from her eyes. She was given a day before she would be forced to leave Camelot.

She packed her bags quickly, and Merlin helped her find a horse. She was in tears as she hugged him goodbye. "Thank you." She said, "For being so kind to me." And then she was gone.

Arthur awoke, after many of Gauis's treatments one morning, and found his father sitting by his bedside. He tried not to show disappointment, and the over taking emotion was confusion, for he had a dream she had left and never come back.

"Where is she? Where is Guinevere?"

Uther said nothing, and as Arthur recovered over weeks of time he grew to do nothing but hate his father's silence. Finally, he approached the king and was told forthwith that she'd been banished.

"I love her." Arthur said without remorse, and turned and left the room.

"She is banished from the city. To return is on pain of death." Uther called after his son.

Gwen had built a life for herself in the time she had been banished. It was nothing like living in Camelot, but it was a life. She had a small house on the outskirts of a village, where she could go to the market. And she was working again, cleaning at the house of the lord of the village. He had a large house, and three other servants, who mostly dealt with food and serving. Gwen was the maid.

One day, early dawn, around a week after he'd declared his affections in front of his father, Arthur found himself riding out. He didn't know where to, but only hoped that his heart would guide him. The prince rode for many miles, and eventually came upon the outskirts of a village. Arthur decided to stay for the evening, as it was getting dark.

As he passed, looking for an inn to make himself at home in for a few days, he noticed that young woman swept the steps of her home, and recognized her right away.

"Guinevere!" Arthur dismounted his horse.

Gwen stopped, leaning slightly on the broom. She wiped hair out of her face, but didn't need to look to see who had called her. She would recognize his voice anywhere. "Arthur?" She still had to ask incredulously. Her smile lit her face as he walked towards her, though it faltered slightly when she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you." Arthur said simply. "I could not live with knowing that I would never see you again."

Gwen felt an incredulous look once again take over her face, "You...you left Camelot? For me?"

"Of course." Arthur said, without giving it a moment's thought. "You are my life and breath."

Gwen couldn't stop smiling, but at the same time she felt guilty, "Arthur...you had a life there...your father..."

"My life is with you. Without you it is nothing." Arthur said as Guinevere led him inside the small house. "You aren't...sending me away?" One of his eyebrow's rose, and he chuckled, be it ever so slightly.

"Not after all the trouble you went through to get here." Gwen replied. She wasn't going to send him away without food. But she was still going to try and convince him to go back to Camelot.

"One day, we will go back to Camelot...together, and you can be my queen." Arthur said, tenderly looking up into her eyes, from where he sat on a wooden bench. Most of the house was furnished thus, plain and simple.

Gwen couldn't take here eyes off him. She moved forwards, hugging him tightly, her slim arms around his neck. "Thank you." She whispered.

"There is no need to thank me." Arthur cherished her warm embrace. "I'd go to the ends of the earth to find you."

Gwen closed her eyes to stop the tears, "I love you."

Arthur didn't reply, but just pulled her a little closer.

Gwen didn't want to let go. But she had to. She moved back, taking his hands to look him in the eye. "You can't stay." She said, "You are the prince of Camelot. You can't abandon that for me."

Arthur took her face in his strong hands, tilting it up to look into his eyes.

"I wouldn't go back to that for anything. Not if it meant I had to leave you. Someday, everything will be right, and we can return together."

Gwen closed her eyes, putting one of her small hands over his. "Is there nothing I can say that would convince you?"

"Absolutely nothing." Arthur leaned and, and kissed her, getting the comfort he had needed for many months. He needed her.

Gwen nodded, "Then I suppose that's that."

A year later, Arthur and Guinevere married. It was small, uncomplicated, but sweet, and it seemed that in that region of the kingdom, barely anyone knew who he was, and if they did, were willing to keep it quiet.

The Prince leaving broke the King's spirit. It had been a year, so Gauis reminded him as he watched out the window, with a silent almost dead stare. The whole kingdom waited for their Prince to return.

Leon and the Knights eventually stopped searching. It seemed he did not want to be found, or so Eliyan pointed out.

Gwen had continued working at the Lord's house, and she and Arthur had built a life. It was simple, and maybe not everything they both wanted, but they had each other. It seemed like that was really all that mattered.

It was everything he had ever wanted, ever dreamed of. Days and weeks ticked by, and when Arthur had been gone nearly two years, Gwen shyly brought Arthur the happiest news in the world. They were expecting a baby.

Gwen had to stop working when she was around six months. She got tired easily and stayed in their small home, cooking and cleaning. She had been promised that her job would not be given away. It would be there if or when she wished to return to it.

Arthur continued supporting the family, finding that he greatly enjoyed it, simply to have people that depended on him. However, deep inside, he knew he was still Prince of Camelot, and someday he would have to return. They would be depending on him too.

One day, around three months later, Arthur met his daughter. She was Princess of Camelot, even if she didn't know.

Arthur and Gwen were overjoyed by their little bundle of joy, and happily raised her to the best of their ability.

Gwen cherished her daughter like nothing she ever had before. She raised the girl with all the care a mother could, but at the same time, taught the girl to be thankful for everything she received.

Arthur was, indeed, the one that spoiled the little princess. She was wrapped around Daddy's finger from the time she could talk. Obviously, Guinevere was the sensible parent.

By the time the girl was six, she knew who she could manipulate and who was the parent who had to put her foot down. Of course, she seemed not to mind when her mother was strict, because Gwen rarely had to be.

Aliana was truly a princess worthy of Camelot, and worthy of the people, but her parents never once whispered a word that she was royalty until she was nine years old.

Word spread throughout the kingdom that Uther Pendragon had died. Arthur hadn't seen his father in many years, and when his past servant, Merlin, brought these tidings, felt many mixed emotions.

At first, that day late in fall, Arthur knelt down beside his daughter and tried to explain that they would be going on a very long journey.

"Alaina. We will be traveling to Camelot." Arthur said slowly, trying to make sure it made sense. "We will...live there now."

"But, father." The child said with a cheeky smile. "Why shall we need to live there? Camelot is a place meant for all the royals...and those people. Not people like us." She looked towards her Mum for support. "Right..Mummy?"

Gwen had worried about this day for years. However, her thoughts had been distracted when she'd heard of Uther's death. She didn't know how Arthur would react, and she had been worried about him. Now, her attention was all focused on Aliana. She sat down and pulled Aliana onto her lap, to look the girl in the eye. "There's something...something we haven't told you." She said, "Your father, is the prince of Camelot. And now that the King has...gone." She glanced at Arthur, before looking back at Aliana, "Your father is the king. Which makes you a princess."

"I'm...a princess?" Alaina lisped, twirling with her hair softly, both confusion and wonder lit her eyes.

"Yes." Arthur nodded. "But you were our Princess, before you were ever theirs." He smiled, the best he could, still struck by his father's death.

But Aliana caught everything, absolutely everything. Fake smiles simply didn't cut it for their little girl.

"Daddy...are you sad...that I'm a princess?"

"No, sweetheart." Arthur shook his head a bit, and stood, pushing past Merlin to walk out the door. He needed to be alone.

"Mum!" Aliana's voice rose, and she watched her father leave with eyes as wide as a tea saucer. "I made Father sad."

"No, it's not your fault." Gwen assured. She kissed the girl on the forehead, and left her with Merlin. Within minutes, he had the girl laughing. She followed Arthur and walked up behind him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Fine." Arthur's voice was husky, and he fought back tears. He didn't look up, just stared at the ground, covered in fall leaves, as he leaned against the back of a tree. "You should be with her. She needs you."

"You need me." Gwen said quietly, "Merlin has her totally distracted, don't worry." Her expression was colored with genuine concern, "If you need to be alone..."

"I killed him. I left him alone to pursue you, to pursue you. To pursue my dream." Arthur pulled her close, taking in deep, shuddering breaths. "And what hurts, is that I don't regret it."

Gwen closed her eyes, listening to his heart beat. "Don't say that." She said, "You didn't kill him. It's not your fault." She wrapped her arms around him, "We have to go back." She said.

"We'll return to Camelot together. Give the people hope." Arthur nodded, and helped Gwen onto a horse that was waiting. "Let me go get Alaina."

Merlin and Alaina came out the door, all ready for the journey.

"No need. We're ready." Merlin said, handing the child up to Arthur.

Gwen clutched the reins of her horse, but couldn't help looking back over her shoulder at the small house. It seemed lonely already. Abandoned.

The new royal family (and Merlin) set out for Camelot, and their destiny.

Arthur tossed Gwen a quiet look of encouragement. "I promise. Everything will be right."

Two days later, Arthur, Guinevere, and Aliana were welcomed into the city with wide arms. Home. Arthur was home, and he knew that this was where he could begin to raise his princess again, and his once and future queen.

Gwen, despite her fears, was also happy to be back. In the time that she'd been there, Camelot had become her home, more so than the small cottage. Despite the fact she had spent years in the cottage, everything and everyone she cared about was in Camelot. She kept her composure until she saw her Elyian. Then she broke down, crying as she hugged him tightly.

Arthur and his knights had a joyful reunion as well, and every single one began to love Aliana and she wormed her way into their hearts.

A coronation took place, several days later, and the spirit of the kingdom lifted.

Yes, the reign of King Arthur Pendragon would be a good one, and he knew that he could lead his people, if he had Guinevere's hand in his. Aliana, she just followed her parents, and generally charmed everyone around her.

A servant married a king, and it might not have been happily ever after. But he got his princess, and the kingdom had theirs.


End file.
